


Just Like We Always Do

by TheCourtSorcerer



Series: Merthur Drabbles & One Shots [18]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Boggart Character Death, Boggarts, Comforting Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fear, Guilty Merlin (Merlin), Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Immortal Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Immortal Merlin (Merlin), M/M, No Actual Character Death, Panic Attacks, Soft Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), There is a lot of background in this for smth, but - Freeform, of a sort, that's literally just an excuse to write merlin a boggart scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:14:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29580096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCourtSorcerer/pseuds/TheCourtSorcerer
Summary: The newest Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor was strange.Somehow stranger was the new History of Magic instructor.When all one wants is a quiet year after the horrors of a war pass, it seems one final mystery can’t help but wriggle its way into the quiet corridors of Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.Merlin and Arthur spend some time teaching at Hogwarts under aliases, until one day it all goes wrong and they're exposed in a painful way.“Wait! Arthur! Don’t open that!” Merlin exclaimed suddenly, rushing to Arthur’s side at the chest behind the desk.“What? Why? You just told me I could!” Arthur shouted back, sounding panicked by Merlin’s tone. It was too late, though, he had already started opening it.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merthur Drabbles & One Shots [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052750
Comments: 28
Kudos: 217
Collections: Tavern Quest 2: Merlin Hurt/Comfort Fest 2021





	Just Like We Always Do

**Author's Note:**

> I mean so yes, I wrote this at 2 am. But also it really has a lot of buildup and background for something that's really just an excuse to write Merlin with a Boggart & H/C. It's literally just plotless hurt/comfort with some unnecessary background. 
> 
> Quick Warning: So, while there is not actual character death, there is a scene that depicts a character dying (this character is not dead and does not die). 
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy this!

The newest Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor was strange.

Somehow stranger was the new History of Magic instructor.

When all one wants is a quiet year after the horrors of a war pass, it seems one final mystery can’t help but wriggle its way into the quiet corridors of Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.

* * *

Professor Myrddin Ambrosius, the newest instructor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, was a strange, suspicious man. At times he spoke with the air of a man wizened with age, yet in all appearances he was hardly twenty-six, and often made claims of the most preposterous sorts when he must think no one is listening. Most times he acted a bumbling fool, though, the only time one could see him serious being during more severe lessons in his classroom. He was a lively, bubbly young man with bright blue eyes that seemed to carry too much weight for someone so young. However, that was a common sight these days, with the war against Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known by The Dark Lord Voldemort, finally at an end. Many children forced to grow before their time, leaving them with a similar look in their eyes, buried beneath the surface gaze.

Professor Arthur Penn, the new instructor of History of Magic now that Binns finally crossed the veil, was also a strange and suspicious man. He was very similar to Professor Ambrosius, in many ways. He, too, spoke with the air of a man wizened with age on occasion, though appearing in all ways as only twenty-nine. Perhaps it was because they began at the same time, and appeared to have come together, having known each other before. They seemed to have a strange and complex history to anyone who saw them. They bickered like childish rivals, yet the look in their eyes and their tones of voice called them something else. They spoke vaguely of their past, though Penn was harshest when it came to shutting down questions. People listened to him without question, and his class was well-behaved. He held himself with the air of a confident and just King, and had the nobility of the Knights he taught about. One who looked close enough, could see the pain in his hard blue eyes as he dwelled on certain points of the past, and one who cared deep enough would question how he knew such specific facts about lessons that weren’t documented in their books. No one ever saw him performing magic, but yet no one seemed to notice the anomaly. 

No one but a young Witch, attending Hogwarts with two reluctant Wizards for their Eighth and final year, with a critical gaze and untameable, bushy hair. A witch who looked close enough, cared deep enough, and noticed the unnoticed, with suspicion over two bubbling in her blood. A witch who with narrowed eyes, watched closely two men, until it all came to a head shortly after Winter Holiday, when all were least expecting it.

* * *

“She keeps following me around, _Myrddin_ ,” Arthur hissed, eyes wide as he threw his hands up, “We’ve started a whole new term and she’s _still_ spying on me, and she got her friends to help her too, now! What if she _knows_?!”

Merlin sighed loudly, grateful for the private quarter’s instructors were provided that were off limits to students so they could have this discussion in peace. He loved his King, but he could be quite the dramatic…And loud. Arthur had been suspicious of the young Hermione Granger since the second week of First Term, when she started asking too many questions about his and Arthur’s history under the guise of wanting to get to know her new professors. Merlin understood her distrust, the poor girl had been through so much these past years, especially with suspicious teachers, he wished he had been permitted to aid them, but alas he was not, it wasn’t his battle to interfere in.

Now, though, now he could help them in a way. He could give the seventh and eighth years a proper education, well as proper as possible in one year before they leave, give the youngers a proper education, be an open ear when someone needed to talk about their troubles, and observe those who fought to make sure they’re healing.

Plus, he found teaching was quite fun! So long as no none found out his wand was fake, he was wearing a glamour to conceal his golden eyes, and that he is _the_ Merlin of Legends. In addition, so long as no one found out Arthur’s wand was fake, he could not use magic, and that he is _the_ King Arthur Pendragon of Legends.

That lead them to their current predicament. The young Hermione Granger, it seemed, was much more observant than Merlin and Arthur had assumed she would be despite what they’d heard about her. They’d known she would be trouble, but they hadn’t realized she’d catch on to something being fishy so soon, and everyday she seemed to be getting closer and closer to the truth.

“She doesn’t know, Arthur, not yet at least,” Merlin assured him, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around his husband’s neck loosely. “perhaps… Perhaps, though, it would be best for us to tell her so she stops looking and doesn’t risk exposing us…”

Arthur let out a noise like a wounded animal, his eyes widening. “Are you insane, _Mer_ lin?! Even if she _believed us,_ you know she’d go and tell her friends and that redhead doesn’t seem to know how to keep his mouth shut! I swear, he’s the only student I have who doesn’t seem to understand the words stop talking or I’ll feed you to the squid.”

“You can’t keep threatening your students, Arthur,” Merlin scolded, although secretly amused.

“They know I don’t really mean it,” the blond shrugs before adding darkly, “though, I may just mean it for him if he doesn’t shut his mouth while I tell them about the creation of the wards around Hogwarts.”

Merlin just rolled his eyes, knowing Arthur didn’t really mean it. He may be suspicious of the trio, but he loved all his students even if he refused to admit it. Merlin knew he thought it was like, in a way, training his knights. Just… With less swords, and action, and violence.

“Anyway, we’re not telling them, and that’s final, Merlin.” Arthur, of course, spoke with his King Voice, as Merlin called it. That one specific voice that just screamed ‘I’m your superior, you must follow my orders,’ and radiated authority. Merlin liked that voice. Sometimes. Now was not one of those times.

“Arthur!” The Warlock exclaimed, glaring, “Don’t you use that voice with me right now! This decision affects us both!”

“Exactly! Which is why I’ve decided we can’t tell anyone! It’s not safe.”

“Oh, yes, because the most powerful warlock to ever walk the earth could totally not keep himself and his literally legendary husband safe if his identity got out to the loud of people who practically worshipped him,” Merlin drawled sarcastically.

Arthur snorted at his words. “Now who’s the one with the ego?”

“Oh, shut up, prat,” Merlin rolled his eyes, “Don’t change the subject. You know how badly I want someone to share our secret with, someone we can tell the real story to… This is our chance. She’ll figure it out on her own anyway…”

“I know… I know, love, but I’m just…” Arthur sighed, “we’ve been in hiding for so long, jumping from alias to alias. It’s strange to think about just… being us again, in front of someone else. Plus, how do we know our resurface into the world would be welcomed? How do we know they wouldn’t be furious with us, with you, for not helping against Riddle.”

Merlin went silent at this. He was angered at _himself_ for not helping with the war… How could he expect the rest of the Wizarding world not to be? If he’d just stepped in—

“Hey.” Arthur suddenly forced him off his train of thought, looking concerned, “You know you couldn’t have helped. It’s not your fault. Had the Old Religion wanted you to interfere, it would have let you. You tried in the first war, and it didn’t work. It’s not your fault.”

“I know…” He murmured, pressing their foreheads together, “I just wish I could have—it doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. But you’re right… They may not see it like that, all they’d see is I’m the _great Merlin_ and I didn’t protect them from this big villain. Gods, it just, you know, it reminded me of Morgana… I wish I could have saved her, and I wish I could have stopped Riddle. So many people suffered because I did neither.”

A moment of quiet passed, the two immortals just clinging to one another, as Merlin took a deep, slow breath. One would think approximately one thousand five-hundred years, give or take a few, would be enough time to rid Merlin of the guilt he carried for what happened to Morgana. One would be wrong to think that. On dark, silent nights, his thoughts drift back to her even after all this time, and to what could have been had he just reached out, and all the different ways things could have gone. He knew it worried Arthur, but he couldn’t help it, the guilt always seemed to linger no matter how hard he tried to get rid of it.

“So, how about instead of outright telling her, we start to slowly give more hints only someone as observant as she would see?” Merlin knew Arthur was changing the subject, but this time, he appreciated it. Plus, the idea of letting someone find out about them was quite thrilling.

Slowly, he nodded, pulling out of his husbands embrace. “Alright. Alright, that sounds good. Fun. That could be fun.” 

Arthur grinned nervously. “Fun, yeah. Exposing ourselves on purpose will totally be fun.”

“Oh, you know you want to be treated as a King again.”

“Nothing says they’ll treat me as a King in this era.”

“You’re literally a legendary figure, Arthur. They’ll treat you like a King, at very least respect-wise.”

“Whatever you say,” Arthur rolled his eyes, though Merlin could see the excitement fighting to show on his face. “Now, come on, I have papers to grade and you’re going to help me.”

Merlin let out a long-suffering sigh, the grin on his face betraying his reaction.

“Yes, _Sire_.”

* * *

Their plan had been going well. Perfect, one might even dare to say. Merlin practiced a bit of wandless, wordless magic when he ‘thought he was alone’ (really, he knew the trio was following him), Arthur got a little _too_ specific talking about the Hogwarts founders and other things, Merlin let his glamour flicker for a moment while teaching a spell (the quiet gasp from Hermione being indication enough she saw), and hell, Arthur even began to teach the class about Uther’s reign in Camelot and the ban on magic!

It had all been going so well! Just as planned!

Until it wasn’t.

They really hadn’t intended or wished to do anything dramatic to make themselves more obvious. They only wanted to plant little seeds. But then, February rolled around, and as usual for Merlin and Arthur, the plan deviated from natural course.

“Myrddin!” Arthur suddenly called, hurrying to Merlin to catch him before he entered his classroom.

Merlin’s brows furrowed in a frown as he turned to look at Arthur, hand on the doorknob to his room. “What? I have a class, Arthur.”

“I don’t!” The blond grinned.

“Right, well…I do. So, I’m just going to…” Merlin began opening the door slowly

“Wait!”

He paused, raising an eyebrow at his husband. Arthur cleared his throat slightly and glanced around almost shyly.

“Let me sit in on your class today?” He asked softly.

The request surprised Merlin. Arthur had not asked before to sit in on his class, he always claimed it made no sense for him to sit there watching a bunch of sorcerers practice when he can’t even join in. Merlin was rather pleased to hear he actually want to see him teach! Though, he couldn’t help but wonder…

“Why?”

Arthur sighed loudly and crossed his arms, blushing faintly. “I don’t have a class to teach today, and I want to be with my husband but he has a class. Do you see my predicament, _Myrddin_? Yes? Good, now may I _please_ sit in on your class today?”

He stretched out the please a little too much for it to be sincere, but Merlin grinned anyway.

“Of course, you may, clingy little dragon,” he chuckled, before adding in a stern voice, “but _do not touch anything._ I mean it, Arthur. Seriously. There’s some dangerous stuff in this room, I don’t want you getting hurt… Or, endangering my students, of course.”

“Right.” Arthur nodded, “of course. Right, okay. I won’t touch anything unless you tell me to. Promise.”

“Good. Now… Come on, you’ve made me late to my own class.”

Arthur rolled his eyes, receiving a half-hearted glare from Merlin before the warlock turned and walked into the room, motioning for Arthur to follow. He heard Arthur shut the door behind them as he walked to the front-center of the room.

“You can sit here,” Merlin pulled out the chair at his desk, waiting until Arthur sat down before walking around to the front of the desk and standing just slightly to the right of it, facing his visibly confused students. Of which, Merlin noted with a suppressed grin, contained the observant Hermione Granger and her wizard friends, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter. This time, much to his own surprise, though, another face sat next to the Potter boy. It took a moment for Merlin to realize but once he did, he had to bite back a grin. Draco Malfoy. Ah, yes, he had a feeling those two would start to build a friendship before the year was over.

“Right, good afternoon class!” Merlin clapped his hands together as he came back to himself, grinning brightly, “as I’m sure you can see, today we are being joined by Professor Penn! I expect you all to be on your best behavior while Mister Penn is observing us! He wishes to see my teaching skills up close and personal, so let’s give him a good show, yeah?” He added the last part in conspiratorial stage whisper, earning a few amused snorts and a couple giggles. Hermione, as always just seemed to be analyzing him, well both of them now, with that calculating stare.

“Today,” he continued on, straightening his posture and dropping his hands to his sides, “today we are going to be talking about Banshees and the best defenses against them.”

There were a few gasps, and eager whispers, and Merlin could practically see Arthur sit up straighter eagerly. He concealed a smirk and glanced around at his students.

“Would anyone like to start us off, by telling me what exactly a banshee is and why they are so dangerous?” He asked. He hardly got the question out of his mouth when he saw the young Granger’s hand fly up, waiting and expecting to be chosen.

Merlin gave another glance around the room, and at the lack of other hands in the air, he finally nodded to the witch before motioning for her to stand. “Yes, Miss Granger, please enlighten us.”

“Thank you, Professor,” Miss Granger politely nodded at him as she rose from her seat, “a Banshee is a Dark creature with origins in Ireland. They appear as green-skinned, skeletal women with long hair, and some speculate they have relation to Dementors. They are very dangerous Malevolent spirits due to their screaming cries, which are deadly, much like that of matured mandrake root.”

“Excellently put!” Merlin praised, grinning, “thank you! You may take your seat now.”

Hermione nodded once more and sat back down, earning wide grins from Harry and Ron, and a smaller but still there smile from Draco. Merlin took a deep breath and stretched his arms a bit.

“Right, so, do we all here know what a Banshee looks like?” Merlin paused, “please raise your hand if you know what a Banshee looks like.”

He waited a few moments, frowning ever so slightly when only two or three hands raised. Well, he’d just have to fix that. “Alright, let’s start there, then! After all, you must know the saying—know thy enemy. Arthur, could you grab the inanimate painting out of the chest on the right, please?”

“Yes, of course!” Arthur replied from behind Merlin, right after which the brunet heard him mumble, “I get to touch something…”

Merlin rolled his eyes at his husbands’ childishness before freezing suddenly, his heart leaping in his chest. Oh no. He said the right—

“Wait! Arthur! Don’t open that!” Merlin exclaimed suddenly, rushing to Arthur’s side at the chest behind the desk.

“What? Why? You just told me I could!” Arthur shouted back, sounding panicked by Merlin’s tone. It was too late, though, he had already started opening it.

“I meant the left one!” Merlin let out a loud yelp and yanked Arthur away from the chest, taking his place. The class watched with rapt, horrified attention, fearful for what was happening that had their composed teacher so freaked out.

“This one contains the—” Merlin’s words died on his tongue as suddenly, out of the chest stumbled a bleeding, pale woman with curled, long raven hair and piercing green eyes.

“ _Morgana_?” Arthur breathed, eyes wide as Merlin stared, frozen at the woman in front of himself. His hands began to shake as her eyes filled with tears while she clutched her bleeding wound.

He faintly recognized the confused repetition of ‘ _Morgana, like Morgana Le Fay?’_ by one of his female students. If he’d been in his right mind, he would have instantly known who, as there was only one would catch on so quick. However, he was not in his right mind, instead he was frozen in horror as Morgana held eye contact with him, tears streaking down her deathly pale cheeks.

 _‘You killed me…_ ’ He heard her trembling, slightly distorted, voice whisper, _‘Why would you kill me…? I thought we were friends… I thought we were **friends**!’ _Her voice rose to a shriek, making Merlin recoil as if he’d been slapped, colour draining from his face.

“I-I’m sorry…” His voice came out weaker than he’d liked it to have, “I didn’t—I couldn’t—you—”

Distantly, he thought he could hear Arthur, but all that he could focus on was the woman dying in front of him.

 _‘You could have saved me!’_ She accused, _‘You could have **helped** me, but you let me become a **monster** , and then you **killed** me!’ _

“Morgana, _please!_ ” Merlin gasped; his eyes blurry from unshed tears.

The woman in front of him let out a sharp, cold laugh. _‘I was never the monster, Merlin. The real monster was and always will be **you**.’ _

Merlin flinched hard at her words, but he had no time to respond, before suddenly she faded to a cloud of smoke, which lingered for a moment before taking new shape. Merlin slowly lowered his eyes to the ground and his heart stopped.

At his feet, lay Arthur, blood pooled around himself as he tried to raise himself up on quivering arms, his dulling blue eyes locked with Merlin’s, entrancing him.

“A-Arthur…” A sob tore its way out of Merlin’s throat, and he dropped roughly to his knees, tears freely flowing now as he watched his beloved die before his eyes, nothing he could do to save him.

“ _Arthur!”_ He cried, his body trembling, as the King collapsed lifeless in front of him. “Arthur, wake up! Arthur! No! No, no, no, no—” he was cut off by the feeling of someone closing their arms around his arms and chest, locking him in a tight embrace.

Sobs wracked his body as he thrashed in the person’s grip, needing to hold his lover one last time, needing to do _something_ to bring him back. He heard someone calling his name, but he couldn’t tear his focus away from his King enough to listen. Then, suddenly, there was a shout, and the lifeless body of his husband turned into clown before suddenly being locked back into the chest. Merlin couldn’t really say how it got back in the chest, he could barely focus on his surroundings.

He stopped thrashing though, when he finally, _finally,_ heard the voice that had been calling to him clearly.

“Merlin! Merlin… _Cariad, it’s me_ , Merlin, it’s _Arthur_ , I’m alive,” he heard his husband’s voice by his ear, it was thick and sounded of heartbreak. “ _I’m alive_ , Merlin. I’m alive… I’m alive, I’m alive…”

He repeated it over and over, as Merlin forced himself around in his arms and buried his face in his neck, clinging desperately to the back of his robes as he sobbed. He faintly recognized a wet feeling on his shoulder when his sobs finally started to die down, and his trembling became a manageable, small, shake. Arthur was crying, he realized, his heart aching at the thought.

Slowly he pulled back to look at his lovers face, his own eyes surely red as his face from crying. Arthur moved a hand slowly from Merlin’s waist and placed it on his cheek gently.

“I’m okay,” he whispered roughly, “you’re okay. We’re okay. I’m alive. You are _not_ a monster, and never will be, none of it was real. You’re okay. I’m okay.”

Merlin stared at his face for a moment, just taking in the sight, seeing him. Then, he leaned in and pressed their lips together, kissing him with all he had. Arthur let out a small started sound, but kissed back with equal passion. It wasn’t until they broke away breathless, still clinging to one another like lifelines, that Merlin remembered where they were and his face flushed before draining of colour.

His students… Oh _gods_ , his _students_ saw _everything_. This was _not_ how they wanted to reveal their identities… Not at all…

As if sensing Merlin’s dread, Arthur suddenly stood, bringing Merlin to his feet with him, and addressed the class that had crowded around them in awe and worry and a little fear.

“You are to speak of what you’ve witnessed here to _no one_ outside this room,” he ordered, his voice calm but leaving no room for argument as he pinned the students with his most authoritative glare. “If I hear that even one of you has said _anything_ to _anyone_ not in this room _, there will be hell to pay._ Do I make myself clear?” Arthur paused and no one replied.

“ _Do I make myself clear?!”_ He snapped, louder than the first time.

A quick series of _‘yes sirs!’_ echoed through the room. Merlin took a deep, shaky breath before turning and addressing the class himself.

“Class is dismissed,” he told them quietly, yet his tone firm and softly commanding, “leave us now.”

The students lingered a moment, unsure, before quickly scrambling out of the room. All but three. Merlin sighed in resignation at the realization they weren’t leaving with the rest.

“…Are you alright, Professor?” Hermione’s gentle, concerned voice broke the silence first, as Arthur guided Merlin to the seat at his desk. Merlin just let out a weak laugh in response.

“Yeah, no, I’m fine. Fine. Great, actually. I’ve only been in hiding for fifteen hundred years only to have my identity blown by a stupid bloody boggart, revealing not only my true self but my deepest fears as well, to a load of teenagers. Why wouldn’t I be alright?” He asked drily, burying his face in his hands once he finally sat in his chair. Arthur stood next to him, hand on his shoulder lightly. He felt the King give a comforting squeeze, and tiny bit of the tension drained from him.

“I’m sorry, that was rude,” the tired warlock mumbled, leaning back in his chair and dropping his hands to his lap. “I-I have been better, but I’ll be fine, Hermione. I appreciate your concern…”

Hermione nodded slowly, giving him a soft smile. “I’ve never liked boggarts,” she admitted, “I do apologize you’ve had that private information bared to the whole class. Witnessing it—it was awful. We felt helpless, frozen by the scene until someone, Malfoy, actually, finally snapped out of the daze and sent it back to the chest.”

“Well,” Merlin sighed, his breath more even now.

“I suppose I owe Mister Malfoy my gratitude… I was so lost by it, enchanted, one could say,” he snorted. Arthur let out a displeased noise beside him.

“We’re just glad you’re okay,” Harry Potter suddenly spoke. At this, Ron nodded and piped up,

“Yeah, I mean, _Merlin_ , that seemed terrible. Er. That’s probably weird of me to say, isn’t it? Using your name like that,” he grimaced, “sorry. Force of habit.”

Merlin just shook his head, uncaring of such things right now. He just wanted to back to his and Arthur’s shared quarters, lie down, and have a nice rest with his husband safe in his arms.

As if reading his thoughts, Arthur suddenly pulled Merlin carefully to his feet, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“Look, I understand that you three probably have questions, finding out he’s _actually_ Merlin and I’m _actually_ King Arthur, and perhaps we will answer some of them soon, but after what just happened… My husband and I just want some privacy, and some rest. So, if you’ll excuse us…”

Then, before any of them could respond, Arthur guided Merlin out of the room and down the corridor, all the way to their room for some rest.

The three students left standing dumbstruck in the classroom, now alone and forced to really process what just happened.

* * *

“This was not how I wanted to reveal our identities…” Merlin murmured softly that evening, tucked into his and Arthur’s bed, wrapped in Arthur’s arms.

Arthur just sighed. “I know… We had a plan. We stuck to our plan. Like always, something went wrong… Now… Now we deal with the aftermath, just like we always do, yeah?”

Merlin slowly nodded in agreement.

“Just like we always do…”

**Author's Note:**

> Info on banshee from the Harry Potter Fandom wiki. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this plotless hurt/comfort!


End file.
